While You Were Dead
by drakien
Summary: Brennan receives some Earth-shattering news...will she be able to cope? Note: This will be AU after the Season Premiere
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** While You Were Dead - Chapter 1

**Rating:** Umm…I suppose T, just to be on the safe side.

**Disclaimer:** Nope, don't own a thing.

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"_Please don't be a hero," she requested. "Please, just…don't be you."_

_He stepped closer and took her hand._

"_One year from today, we meet at the reflecting pool, on the mall, right by the…"_

"…_coffee cart," she finished, nodding. "I know. One year from today."_

_

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_

A year had come and gone, and Temperance Brennan found herself waiting on a bench next to the coffee cart, where they'd agreed to meet. She'd had a lot of revelations and discovered things about herself over the course of that year, and she was looking forward to telling Booth about them.

Brennan was so busy scanning the crowds for Booth that she didn't notice the man wearing a military dress uniform until he was standing beside her.

"Excuse me, Ma'am…are you Dr. Temperance Brennan?" he inquired.

Her brow furrowed, and her heart started beating faster in her chest. "Yes?" she asked.

"My name is Corporal Bryce Stevens, Ma'am, and I have a telegram for you regarding Sergeant Major Seeley Booth," the soldier said evenly, keeping his face expressionless as he handed her the missive.

She couldn't seem to keep her hand from shaking when she took the innocuous envelope. It wasn't rational; she had no idea what the letter contained. It could simply be a message from Booth saying that his flight back had been delayed.

Yet, if that were the case, why wouldn't he simply call? And why did she feel like someone had kicked her in the stomach?

She opened the letter, pulling out the crisp white piece of paper inside with its sharply contrasting block letters.

_Unforeseen attack…missing…presumed dead…_

There was a roaring in her ears and the edges of her vision started to go gray.

He was gone. She stared blankly at the paper in front of her, the words swirling together.

He had left her, had broken his promise.

Everyone always did.

"Ma'am?" the officer said apologetically. "I'm very sorry to put all of this on you, but I've also got his personal effects."

"They should go to his family," she said numbly. "His son…" _Oh God, Parker…_

Stevens shook his head. "We were given specific instructions to have them delivered to you, Ma'am."

When she nodded, staring at the coffee cart where they were supposed to meet, Stevens swung a pack off his shoulder and set it in front of her. She hadn't even noticed that he was carrying it.

Without another word, Brennan picked up the bag, heaved it over her own shoulder, and left.

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A/N - Okay, so I know as of tomorrow this is going to be completely AU. I'm good with that, even though I'm going to want to hit something based on what I've seen of the previews for the Season Premiere. GAH. Anyhow, I'm _hoping_ to provide semi-regular updates, but my muse may or may not cooperate. On a positive note, I've got it about 80% of the story written so far…the problem is that the 20% is in the middle (naturally). The next chapter is written, so I'll probably post that in a few days. Reviews, as ever, are adored!


	2. Chapter 2

See Chapter 1 for Official Disclaimer (stating that Seeley Booth is not chained to my bed).

**While You Were Dead - Chapter 2**

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Brennan could hardly bring herself to go through his things; it would make it that much more real, and she was pleasantly foggy and numb. She knew that it had to be done, though, so she forced herself to sit up and pull the bag closer to her.

Before she undid the straps that held it closed, her fingers traced the letters of his name that were embroidered across the top. Shuddering, she opened the bag.

The first things she encountered were some of his clothes. In a completely irrational and inexplicable move, she pulled off her shirt, tossed it on the floor, and pulled one of his t-shirts on. It smelled like him, and all of her compartmentalization skills went to hell as tears stung her eyes.

She pulled out his wallet next, unable to keep herself from opening it and looking through its contents. In addition to a few dollars and his ID, there were a few pictures inside. She expected to see the ones of Parker, of course, even remembered taking the one of Parker and his dad on the swings at a nearby playground. She hadn't expected to see one of her…of them…but there it was. She slid it out of the plastic sleeve and set it on the bed beside her.

Reaching back into the bag again, she found his 'Cocky' belt buckle, something that he'd apparently taken with him even though he couldn't wear it. His lucky poker chip was also there, as was the chain holding his St. Christopher medal, which she slipped over her head.

Towards the bottom of the bag, to her surprise, she found a letter addressed to her. Hands trembling, she pulled the pages covered in his familiar handwriting out of the envelope.

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_Dear Bones,_

_If you're reading this, then I guess I'm dead, so the first thing I want to do is apologize. I can guarantee that I did everything possible to come back to you, and I'm sorry that it wasn't enough. I never meant to break a promise to you._

_I know you're probably going to be all logical about this, and try to compartmentalize or whatever (I'll even understand if you don't come to my funeral), but you should listen to Sweets when he tells you to grieve. It's not because I want to see you sad, but because grieving will let you take a step towards being happy again. It doesn't sound like it makes sense, but please, for me…try._

_Look Bones, there's something I want to tell you again, and since I'm not there to say it in person anymore, I'm going to put it in writing…that way, you can read it whenever you want. Maybe if you read it enough times, you'll believe it, and I gotta tell you, Bones, if you do believe it I'll be the happiest man in the universe._

_Okay, here goes._

_Temperance Brennan, I love you._

_I love you with every molecule in my body, so much that it hurts. _

_I don't have those 30, 40, or 50 years to prove it to you anymore, but I'm still that guy…the guy who knew. Somewhere in the bag they've given you with all my stuff, there should be a little black box. Pops gave it to me a few years ago; it belonged to his grandmother, then to my grandmother. I want you to have it, Bones. I'm just sorry I couldn't give it to you in person._

_There's one last thing, I guess. I know we had talked about it, but then there was my surgery and it didn't really come up again, so…well, before I left, I stopped by the Washington Fertility Study Center, just in case. I don't know if you're even thinking about it anymore, but I do know that if you decide to, you'll be a wonderful mom._

_I'll be watching out for you, Bones…and one of these days, if we both make it into Heaven (and I'm pretty sure we will, even though you don't believe in God), I'll be waiting for you._

_Forever yours,_

_Booth_

_

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_

She realized that she was crying when her falling tears hit the paper and made some of the ink run. Drying the spots and swiping at her face, she dug through his personal effects until she found the box he'd described. It was simple and unadorned, giving no clue as to what it was.

When she opened it and saw what it contained, she was speechless. Nestled inside the box on a velvet bed was one of the most beautiful rings she'd ever seen. The setting was some sort of white metal, and there were delicate flower carvings down the sides of the band. In the center was a modest round diamond. After five generations, she could see where the metal had started to wear (one of the flowers had almost lost its edges completely), but the diamond still sparkled as brightly as she was sure it had more than a century ago.

She was glad that she was sitting down; if she hadn't been, she would have fallen. An engagement ring, a symbol of an institution that she didn't believe in. His letter had even implied that he'd planned to give it to her. To one day _marry_ her.

But that was never going to happen now; he'd left her alone, just like everyone else.

And yet…

She forced herself to focus again on the last part of Booth's letter.

He'd left a part of himself, left it for her. 'Just in case', the letter had said. She sat there for a long time, watching the sunlight play in the facets of the diamond. Eventually, she made a decision. Before reaching over to pick up the phone, she slipped the ring onto the third finger of her left hand.

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A/N - Yup, plot is now completely AU. Ah well. Reviews, as ever, are adored!


	3. Chapter 3

See Chapter 1 for Official Disclaimer (stating that Seeley Booth is still not chained to my bed).

**While You Were Dead - Chapter 3**

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Three Months Later

Brennan hung up the phone, replaying the brief conversation in her head.

It was confirmed.

She was pregnant.

She was pregnant with Booth's child.

Her happiness was bittersweet, but even so she found herself fighting and failing to keep a smile off her face as she returned to the platform and the skeleton she'd been working on.

"Dr. Brennan?" a deep voice cut through the fog in her head a few hours later. She looked up to see an elderly guard, one who she usually saw up at the main desk. She frowned.

"Yes Mr. Jenkins?"

"Ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you, but…"

"BONES!"

He hadn't called her that in 61 weeks…not that she was counting. She inhaled sharply before realizing that the voice was far too high-pitched to have come from _him_. It was the perfect pitch, however, for the young boy who had just hurtled himself up the stairs and slammed into her, wrapping his small arms tightly around her.

"Parker?" she said incredulously, instinctively wrapping her arms around him as someone shut off the alarms.

"I take it you know this boy, Dr. Brennan?"

"Yes, I do, but…" She looked down into familiar brown eyes and felt her throat tighten. She cleared it. "Parker, why are you here? Did you run away again? Where's your mother?"

"She dropped me off." He handed her a note. "She said to give this to you."

Brennan had a sense of foreboding as she took the paper; she wondered if that would always be her reaction when presented with a letter in the future.

_Parker looks so much like Seeley. I just can't…_

_Dan and I are leaving the country. _

_We won't be coming back...please take care of him._

Temperance Brennan was well familiar with abandonment; she knew that people always left, even when you thought you could depend on them. Even when they promised. Despite that, the rage that swept over her upon reading Rebecca's note caught her by surprise.

She looked down at the brown eyes, eyes that looked at her so trustingly. For one of the very few times in her life, she lied.

"Well Parker, it looks like your mother has to go out of town for a while and wants you to stay with me. Is that okay with you?"

He shook his head excitedly, clearly pleased with the arrangement. "That would be so cool, Bones!" he exclaimed. "Can we go to the pool?"

She smiled at him, reaching out and tousling his curly hair. "The pool is certainly an option. Let me finish one thing and get my coat, and then we'll leave, okay? We can stop for some lunch then do a little shopping. I think I need to buy a TV, don't you?"

"DEFINITELY," Parker confirmed, as though he couldn't fathom how someone could live without a TV in this day and age.

"Alright, while I wrap up…"

Brennan looked around the platform at her coworkers, who had all stopped their work and were watching the scene curiously.

"Wendell," she called to her intern, "would you please take Parker to see the new 'Nocturnal Creatures' exhibit upstairs? I believe they have owl pellets that he can dissect. I'll meet you at the exhibit when I'm done here." She turned to the boy. "Does that sound like something you'd like?"

"Awesome!" he exclaimed. As he walked away with Wendell, she saw him turn to the older man and very quietly ask, "What's an owl pellet?"

She sighed and looked to everyone else. As she'd spoken with Wendell and Parker, Cam, Angela, and Hodgins had drifted closer. They followed her into her office…she really did need to wrap something up and get her things, but she also needed to talk to them.

Once they were all inside and Cam had closed the door, Brennan wordlessly offered Rebecca's note to Angela. Her eyes widened as she read the few lines and practically shoved it at Hodgins; Cam leaned in so she could read over his shoulder.

"That _bitch_!" Angela hissed.

For once Brennan had no desire to correct Angela's assessment, or say that it was unfair.

"I can think of a few other choice words myself," Cam said angrily.

Hodgins said nothing, but the very air around him practically crackled with his anger.

Everyone at the Jeffersonian who had worked with Booth loved his son, and this letter, this abandonment by his own _mother_ was taken as a personal affront.

Brennan drew in a deep breath as she took her coat off the hanger. "Cam, I'm going to need some time off to get Parker settled in. A week, maybe two…"

Cam interrupted her. "Whatever you need. After the incident with Hacker, we're not consulting with the FBI anymore, and the skeletons in Limbo aren't going anywhere."

Angela was the one to ask the question they were all thinking. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

She looked at her friend, so tempted to give her usual standby of 'I'm fine'. Angela deserved better, though; they all did.

"No," she said softly. "No, I'm not okay. I haven't been okay for over a year, and I don't know if I'll ever be 'okay' again. This thing with Parker…with everything…I'm terrified and angry and thankful at the same time…and I don't even know how that's possible."

Angela said nothing, just stepped up and pulled her friend into a hug. "Anything you need, Bren. Just say the word."

Temperance returned her friend's embrace. "Thanks, Ange." She stepped back. "I'll be in touch as soon as I've started to get things sorted out. In the meantime, you know how to reach me if you need to."

Without waiting for a reply she turned, squared her shoulders, and walked off to find her ward.

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A/N - Thank you guys so much for your patience! Reviews are love!


	4. Chapter 4

While You Were Dead - Chapter 4

Notes: Thanks times a bazillion for any readers who have stuck with me during my sabbatical. I love you all, and will shoot for more regular updates. Also, disclaimer can be found in Chapter 1. MWAH!

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_**Chapter 4**_

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'_Almost 10 years to the day_,' Booth thought as he stepped out of the cab. He remembered right before he left, telling Bones that it would just be a year, that they'd meet at the coffee cart by the Reflecting Pool. That might have been true, too…if his team hadn't been ambushed and captured three days before he was scheduled to return home.

He'd spent eight years, five months, and twelve agonizing days as a prisoner of Hezbollah. Why they didn't kill him immediately or ransom him was something he never figured out; he only knew that he infuriated the leader of the camp, because he never broke. Oh, physically, they broke him over and over. But they never once managed to break _him_. It was only later that he realized that it was because he'd left most of himself, especially his heart, back in the basement of the Jeffersonian.

He would still be there if a fluke raid on the compound by U.S. soldiers hadn't revealed the concrete pit where they threw him when he wasn't being interrogated or beaten. The gentle evening sun had scorched his eyes after seeing it for the first time in almost a year.

Now, after six months of hospital care and rehab, he was back in DC. It was late, after midnight, but he had to see her in person, to let her know he was still alive.

Standing outside of her apartment, he took a deep breath. This was it. She might kill him, or refuse to speak to him at all, but she deserved to hear the truth about what happened.

Booth raised his hand and knocked firmly.

When he got no answer, he knocked again.

"Bones?" he called.

The door opened suddenly and he found himself staring at the business end of a shotgun wielded by a feisty-looking old man in a bath robe and slippers.

"I'm sorry…I'm looking for Dr. Temperance Brennan," he stammered, holding his hands out to his sides. "She used to live here."

The old man scowled at him. "I've lived here for almost eight years, Sonny. Don't know any doctors, aside from the ones who tell me my cholesterol is too damn high. Now I think you'd best see yourself out of the building and be on your way, and let me get back to sleep."

"Yessir," he mumbled. "Sorry to have woken you up."

Dejected, he made his way to the elevator. Eight years? Oh God, what if Bones had left DC altogether? What if he couldn't find her? After all this time, he felt like his heart might stop beating in his chest if he didn't see her soon.

He wasn't going to give up easily, that was certain. Going over his options, he thought of one of the other important women in his life…Cam. Cam would know where Bones was.

Another quick taxi ride had him pulling up to her house. It was dark, but since it was the middle of the night that wasn't unexpected. The fact that her car was missing was a problem, though. He waited until the cab pulled away, looked around carefully, then snuck up to one of the windows. Glancing at the living room, he was relieved to see her familiar furnishings. She hadn't moved, then. But then where…

Ah.

When he'd moved to the kitchen window, he could clearly see the words "VACATION" written across the whole week on her calendar.

Well shit.

What were his other options, then?

Only one came to mind, at least one who he knew how to locate.

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BB

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A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but I really needed to kick-start this story again. First off: of course Booth wasn't dead. What fun would that be? Now he gets to find Bones and discover all of the interesting things she's been up to for the past decade. Secondly, I do want to apologize for the jump; there were so many possibilities for things that went on between Bones and Parker, or "new mother" stuff. I think that there was so much that I was just getting hung up on all the options that could be explored. I'm thinking I might put up some of the little drabbly-bits that I have written up when the overall story is finished. Thoughts on that? Reviews are love!


	5. Chapter 5

While You Were Dead - Chapter 5

Notes: Well, my goal for more frequent updates clearly fell through, as it is now nearly March and my last update was last July. Yes, I suck, and I'm sorry! If there are any readers left, I love you tons. Also, disclaimer can be found in Chapter 1. MWAH!

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**Chapter 5**

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He stood outside of the ornate doors, still not quite sure what to say. She would understand, though, and he was sure she could help him.

He knocked.

There was just enough time for him to say her name…

"Angela…"

…before she passed out cold.

He caught her before she hit the ground, which was a very good thing…she was pregnant.

That was how Hodgins found him when he came downstairs a few seconds later, holding his now semi-conscious wife upright while she recovered.

Once he got over a momentary shock, he rushed down to help him get Angela to a nearby couch and said the first thing that came to mind.

"You look like shit, Bro."

Booth choked on a laugh. "Yeah, well, I haven't really…" He trailed off, his attempt to make a joke failing. Instead, he gave them the truth. They deserved that. "Afghani terrorists. I was captured a few days before I was supposed to come home, and they kept me prisoner for a little over eight years. I was in rehab for a few months; just got back to the States today."

Angela inhaled sharply, her eyes filling.

"Oh, Booth…" she breathed.

"Hey," he soothed. "I'm alive, aren't I? I'm okay. I just...just needed someone I trusted to tell me…where's Bones?"

Understanding crossed her face.

"You went to see her first, but…"

"…she's moved," he finished. "What happened?"

Angela sighed. It wasn't really her place to tell him everything, but she had to give him something to go on; he needed to see for himself.

"I'm going to check on Lucas," Hodgins said quietly. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, Jack," she assured her husband. "I'll be up in a few minutes, okay?"

"I'll hold you to that." As he left the room to give them some privacy, he swooped down and kissed Angela's cheek. Then, in a rare display of manly affection, he let his hand come to rest on Booth's shoulder.

"It's good to see you alive, Booth."

He left before Booth could reply.

Booth returned his attention to Angela. "Lucas?"

She smiled. "Our son," she told him. "He's almost six. And this little girl," she patted her swollen belly, "is due in a few weeks."

He tried to wrap his head around it. Parker had been eight, almost nine when he left. He did some quick math…God, he would be close to _nineteen_.

When he turned back to Angela, his 'trained eye' took in all of the signs of nervousness she was expressing.

"Ange?" he prompted.

"Bren moved out of her condo a little over eight years ago. She told us the logical reason first…she'd been living with somebody for about 6 months, and was about to get another roommate, so she really just needed more space. It took her awhile to admit the other reason, though we all knew what it was…everything about that apartment reminded her of you."

She looked at him squarely. "Booth, when we got word from the Army…they sent someone to meet her at the Reflecting Pool, to tell her that you were dead. And when you died, it was like everything that made her a person died with you. She was an empty shell…she'd go through the motions, do her job, but she was hollow inside, and was pulling away from all of us. She stopped working with the FBI entirely…actually threw Hacker into a wall when he tried to convince her otherwise, and had lined up another expedition that would take her out of the country indefinitely.

"But then _he_ showed up." Angela smiled faintly at the memory. "He was having a rough time too, but they slowly started to help each other heal. She cancelled her trip, they moved in together…he made her smile again, and that was something I thought we'd never see."

Booth felt ill. She was living with someone. This person had obviously been there for her, helped her, but still…

"Are they…" he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Are they still together?"

"Living together?" she asked. "Oh yes. They're inseparable." Angela looked at his face, hastening to reassure him as she saw the conclusion he'd jumped to. "Not like that, Booth. Never like that. That would be…ew. No. Just good friends, sort of a…mutualistic relationship. They draw comfort and companionship from each other, and spend time together, but there's not even the tiniest drop of that kind of relationship-ness there. Because ew. You'll understand when you meet him. No, Bren hasn't dated anyone in the past ten years…I tried to set her up a few times, but she never went for it. Anyhow, over the next few years, a few other people moved in with them too."

Booth frowned. "Ange, you're being deliberately vague. Bones isn't the type of person to just open up a boarding house…what gives?"

She sighed. "Look Booth, it's not really my place to give you the details you want; you're going to have to see her, talk to her. What I can give you is a piece of advice, which I sincerely hope you'll take. Hearing that you'd died…it _broke_ her. I've never seen anything like it, especially from Bren. You need to be really careful. I'd normally say it was kind of creepy-stalkerish, but I really think you need to watch her, see what her life is like now before you talk to her. I'll give you a key to her place. Sneak around, do your magic invisible G-Man stuff, but really _watch_ her, because she's changed. A _lot_. Take tomorrow, maybe the weekend, and try to understand, Booth. Please." Angela shook her head. "Consider yourself humoring a crazy hormonal pregnant lady. Now help me up and I'll show you where you can sleep; you look exhausted."

"But I…"

She gave him a look as she took the hand he offered and levered herself out of the chair. "You were just going to run over there half-cocked and bang on her door, weren't you?" Angela shook her head again. "First off, she's been having trouble sleeping lately, so if you go wake her up you're going to piss _all_ of us off…she's supposed to spend a few hours at the Jeffersonian tomorrow, and she's a holy terror to work with when she's tired these days. Second, even if she was awake, you'd wake up one of the people living with her, and that would _also_ piss her off and make it miserable for the rest of us."

When she was standing fully upright, Booth let Angela take his arm and lead him upstairs.


	6. Chapter 6

While You Were Dead - Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Still don't own them

Note: I know this is sort of a mini-update, but I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Thank you to EVERYONE who is still sticking with this one.

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**Chapter 6**

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Booth stepped out of the cab in front of the address Angela had given him, looking at the house in front of him.

It was the absolute last kind of place he would have expected her to live. Set in the middle of an Arlington suburb on a quiet street, the large two-story house was stone and brick that had been painted white. The shutters were a tasteful navy blue, and the concrete covered porch was painted blue-gray. He would be shocked if the house (or any of the others on the block, for that matter) was built any time after 1930; it had that old-school solid look.

It was set on maybe a quarter of an acre, and there was a gravel driveway that ran up the right side of the house. The back yard showcased an oak tree that had probably been planted when the house was built; it was enormous, and two bird feeders hung from one of the lower branches. There was a sad-looking wooden shed (which also looked like it had been built half a century ago) that stood next to a good-sized gated garden. He saw a swing set, too…probably something that had been there when she moved.

Though there were no cars in the driveway, he used the key Angela had given him to enter through the back door quietly, not wanting to alert her (or her _roommate_) to his presence if either of them were home.

Stepping into the house, he found himself on a landing. Straight ahead of him were stairs leading down into a basement, and to his left were three stairs that looked like they opened into the kitchen. Figuring it would make the most sense to start exploring from the bottom and work his way up, he descended the stairs.

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Her house was…well, 'cluttered' wasn't the right word. But it looked…lived in. A lot of those tribal artifacts she kept out in her condo had been put into locked display cases. She had a television in the living room.

But then things got really confusing for him.

There were two lacrosse sticks by the front closet, and a few pairs of sneakers by the door next to hers.

The large dining room table had six chairs and a high-chair surrounding it, and one of the regular chairs had a booster seat on it.

He walked into the kitchen, and saw a refrigerator covered with plastic magnets and scribbled drawings in crayon. The spot that used to hold beers now was filled with juice boxes, of all things.

He shook his head. This couldn't be where Bones lived. Was he in the wrong house? He'd just spied a shelf that was filled with picture frames when he heard a car pull up in the driveway. Booth had just enough time to slip back into the shadows of a closet before she came through the door.


	7. Chapter 7

While You Were Dead - Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Still don't own them

Note: Yay, we've FINALLY got Brennan back in the story in this chapter! Thank you to EVERYONE who is still sticking with this one.

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**Chapter 7**

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His breath caught in his throat when he saw her. All of the memories of her that he'd held so close over the last decade paled in comparison to how stunning she actually was. She was older, and the lines on her face bore testament to the strain she'd been under, but at the same time she was more relaxed that he ever remembered seeing her. That almost manic drive in her had been calmed, though he didn't know how or why.

There was something else, too, something that he cursed Angela for 'conveniently' forgetting to mention. She was pregnant, and just as far along as her scheming best friend if he was any judge. But Angela had told him she wasn't with anyone…

His jaw dropped then…literally dropped…as three more people came through the door on her heels.

Three _children_, two boys and a little girl, who all bore a remarkable resemblance to the woman they surrounded.

"Nathan, go get your T-ball uniform on," Bones instructed. "Joey, you get your uniform on too; Scouts tonight. I'm going to feed Emma, and you had both better be ready by the time I'm done."

"Race ya!" the older boy said to the younger one just before dashing towards the stairs.

"No running!" she called as she picked up the toddler. "I'm fresh out of Skele-Grow!" She shook her head as she looked at the girl in her arms. "Your brothers are very silly, aren't they?"

"Silly," the girl confirmed. "Pie?"

Bones chuckled as she settled her in a high-chair. "No pie right now, but if you're a good girl you can have some grapes. How's that?"

"GAPES!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Grapes," Bones corrected gently, emphasizing the 'R'.

The girl just giggled.

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Booth watched with a bemused sense of crazy as she wheedled and cajoled the little girl… Emma… into finishing her meal, grapes and all.

The two boys had come back downstairs as Bones was cleaning Emma's face, and she'd given them permission to turn on the TV until it was 'time to go'. Once they'd settled in, Bones picked Emma up and made her way to the stairs.

After about ten minutes, during which he found himself getting caught up watching the two boys and examining the parts of the house he could see from where he hid, someone rapped out a slightly complex pattern on the door.

Joey got up and rushed over, tapping back another pattern. Apparently satisfied by the one he got in reply, he opened the door with a grin.

"Hi Aunt Angie!" he exclaimed. "Hey Cuz!"

"Hey sweetie," Angela said, ruffling his hair. "Where's your mom?"

"Right here," Brennan said, huffing as she made her way down the stairs. The boy with Angela, who Booth assumed was her son Lucas, gave her a perfunctory greeting before slipping away to catch a few minutes of whatever show the two boys were watching.

"Thanks for watching Emma, Ange," Bones said as she picked up her purse and walked over to her friend.

"Anytime, Sweetie, thanks for dropping off Lucas at the game. Jack's running a little behind, but said he'd meet you there. Now…where is my little princess?"

Bones grinned. "I just put her down for a nap. If you're lucky, you'll have an hour or so before the 'little princess' wakes up."

Angela faked a gasp. "An _hour_, all to myself? What_ever_ shall I do with all of that time?"

"You should try to take a nap yourself," Bones recommended. "Use my bed."

Angela patted her round stomach. "We'll see if Baby Girl lets me get away with that."

The two women shared a laugh as Bones winced and rubbed her own stomach.

"You okay?"

Bones chuckled. "Oh yeah; I'm just pretty sure tryouts for an intrauterine chorus line were being held today."

Angela laughed. "I know exactly what you mean, Sweetie." She leaned in to hug her friend, then made shooing motions. "Get going, I've got everything under control here. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Bye Ange," Bones said, "and thanks again. C'mon guys, the bus is leaving!"

Angela waited until she heard the SUV leave the driveway and turn onto the street, then waited a few more minutes before finally speaking.

"I know you're hanging around, Booth," Angela said to the seemingly empty house. "You can stop creeping now."

She waited patiently until he emerged from one of the other rooms.

"Angela, what the _HELL_?!" he practically shouted as he gesticulated wildly.


	8. Chapter 8

While You Were Dead - Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Nope, they weren't in my stocking!

Note: OMG! An update! Don't pass out from shock. -grin- Thank you to EVERYONE who is still sticking with this one.

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**Chapter 8  
**

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Booth's face was a strange mix of emotions; confusion, anger, joy, amusement… Before she could answer him, though, a cry was heard from upstairs. Angela glared at him.

"Seeley Joseph Booth, you are in serious trouble. I should make you watch her while I take that nap I was so looking forward to."

He opened his mouth to reply but she cut him off. "I don't want to hear it. You broke Parenting Rule Number One and woke up a sleeping baby. Shame on you!" She pointed to a nearby chair. "Now you sit right there while I go get her, and don't move."

As she stalked away (as well as a woman who was eight months pregnant could stalk), he noticed absently that she spoke to him in the same tone he suspected she used with her six year old son. He also noticed that he'd listened.

A few minutes later, Angela returned carrying the little girl who Bones had called Emma, who looked like she was about two years old. Her curly hair was a deep reddish-brown color, and her eyes were startlingly blue.

"Emma, this is my friend Booth."

"Boof?"

Angela grinned. "Yep."

The girl turned to Booth and looked at him hopefully. "Hugs?"

At his bewildered expression, a grinning Angela took pity on him. "She loves hugs, and would like to give you one, Booth."

Emma nodded seriously. "Boof hugs."

Booth had no idea how to respond to that, so he merely nodded and held out his arms. Emma laughed gleefully and dove into his lap, wrapping her chubby arms around him. She was so enthusiastic and cheerful that he couldn't help but smile and hug her back gently. God, how long had it been since he'd had a child in his arms?

"So these kids…Nathan, Joey, Emma…they're all hers?" When Angela nodded, Booth exhaled sharply. "Jesus, I never imagined Bones with one kid, much less three…well, four." He hated to ask the question, but he had to know. If Bones wasn't with anybody…

"Ange, how can…I mean, whose…"

"Think about it, Booth," Angela prompted gently. "Who's the one person she ever considered parenthood with?"

He only had to think about it for a second before his eyes widened. "She…you mean…_four_?"

Angela pointed to the little girl in his arms. "Booth, may I formally introduce Emily Claire Brennan-Booth." Her expression softened as he almost instinctively held the little girl even more carefully. "Your daughter. Joey and Nate, are also biologically yours. And even though they've never met you, their favorite bedtime stories are about their dad, the amazing FBI agent who worked with their mom to catch bad guys. They visit your grave every Sunday after Mass, to say hello, and they each tell you about their week."

"Hold up, Ange…Mass? Bones goes to church now?"

"Every Sunday. Joey's an altar boy, even," Angela confirmed. "I think she probably started going because her oldest son asked her to go with him. That was one thing about her, when she adopted him; there was nothing she wouldn't do for him. I think she kept going because it made her feel closer to you; she finds a measure of peace there."

Booth blinked. "Oldest? Adopted? Angela, how many kids does Bones _have_?"

"Eight," Angela said with a shrug.

He blinked again, sure he'd misheard. "Come again?"

"Bren has eight kids, or at least she will in about a month. Joey has two sisters; they were triplets. The girls, Faith and Hope, are identical. They turned 8 back in January. So it's those three, then Nathan, who will be 5 in August, then Emily, who was 2 in February. Her oldest was actually adopted a few months before the triplets were born; he's 19 now, and just got finished his first year at West Point. That's six, and since she's also almost 8 months pregnant with twins…eight. It's quite the little circus."

"Wait…_West Point_?" It was only the small person who had started to fall asleep that kept his voice from rising again. Booth felt almost like Angela was speaking a different language and he was continuously struggling to keep up.

"I know; she argued with him about that for months. He's just as stubborn as she is, though, if you can believe that, and he finally convinced her that it was something he felt like he needed to do. Even though she didn't want him to go, she's so proud of him. He's a great kid, and he finished at the top of his class this year."

Booth shook his head. "I can't… Geez, Ange, I mean…"

Angela patted his knee sympathetically. "It's a lot to take in, huh?"

"Ya think?" he said sarcastically. "I mean… Bones is a _mom_! Not just any mom, she's the mother of my kids, plural, who I knew nothing about until an hour ago, and I have _no_ idea how to process that information!"

"Well, that's where I come in, Sweetie. I can fill you in on what's been going on with her while you were gone. But don't for a second think she doesn't miss you every day, because she does."

For the first time, though, Booth wasn't so sure.

* * *

He'd spent the next hour listening while Angela told him all about the kids. If he noticed that she rarely mentioned the eldest, the adopted one, he attributed it to the fact that Angela assumed he'd be more interested in his biological offspring. Which, to be fair, he was. And it wasn't until after she kicked him out to head back to her place (Bones would be returning soon) that he realized that he didn't even know the kid's name. Oh well; he'd ask her later.

Before he returned to Angela and Jack's place, though, he directed the cab to another important location… after this afternoon, he desperately wanted to see his son. Much to his dismay, however, it was the same as it had been for Bones…Parker and Rebecca had apparently moved years ago, and the current owner of the house had no idea where. He thought about going to the Bureau, maybe seeing if he still even had a shot at a job, but he went back to Hodgins' house instead. Even after months of recovery and physical therapy, he wasn't functioning at 100%; he was drained, and he was sure part of it was all of the shocks he'd received in the last 24 hours.

As he sunk into the mattress in the room he was staying in for a pre-dinner nap, he was sure he was in for a lot more surprises before he finally confronted Bones.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Friday night

He slept straight through until dinner, waking to find himself ravenous; he'd been so intent on seeing Bones, and then Parker, that he'd skipped lunch.

Towards the end of the meal, he brought up the subject that had been on his mind since that afternoon.

"Angela, what happened with Parker and Rebecca? I went to see them today, but they'd moved too. Do you know where?"

Angela and Jack shared a look that Booth couldn't interpret before Angela answered him. Carefully.

"We haven't heard from Rebecca since about three months after we got the news you weren't coming home," she said. "As far as I know, she moved somewhere out on the west coast.

Booth's spirits fell. He had been looking forward to seeing his son just as much as he had Bones, and now it looked like he wouldn't be able to do that without getting on a plane and flying across the country. And without a job, he didn't have the cash for a plane ticket.

Maybe he could track them down and call?

"She didn't leave a number or anything? A way to get in touch with them?"

Angela shook her head. "Not really. It seemed like they just picked up everything and left… like Rebecca couldn't stand to be in the area anymore."

Booth shook his head sadly. "She'd always wanted to go out West. Said the weather agreed with her more than here. We fought about it sometimes, and finally agreed that she'd stay until Parker turned 18, so he could decide where he wanted to live. I guess with me gone, she didn't have to wait anymore."

She reached out and gave his arm a sympathetic pat. "I'm sure he's okay, Booth… he's a good kid. And you'll see him soon. It will work out, I promise."

"I guess," he said, doubtful.

"Are you going back over to Bren's tomorrow? Do some more recon on our favorite anthropologist/ crazy mom?"

"Do I need to?" he asked honestly.

"I… it couldn't hurt," she said diplomatically. "A lot has happened in ten years."

Booth sighed deeply. "That's what I'm afraid of."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Erhmagherd UPDATE! And a bit longer than that silliness from last chapter! Thanks so much to anyone still hanging in with my sporadic updates...I love each and every one of you!

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Saturday morning

It was very early when he let himself back into her house; he remembered how early she used to wake up. In the semi-darkness, he let himself look through all the photographs displayed on the shelves. There were dozens of them, frame after frame of her children…their children…at various stages of growth. One of his favorites was one of two girls, curly-haired toddlers sporting diapers and nothing else, sitting on the floor of the kitchen with a completely upended bag of cheetoes dumped out between them. Their hands and faces were orange, and their expressions were completely unrepentant.

He'd just leaned in for a closer look at a small picture of a young man in uniform when he heard noise coming from upstairs.

He stood up swiftly and ducked into an alcove when he heard her coming down the hall, which kept him out of sight but gave him a clear view up the stairs. She was yawning and rubbing her distended belly absently, still sleepy and unguarded; a more relaxed side of Bones that he'd only seen a few times.

He watched as she stopped and turned into one of the rooms close to the stairs.

"Time to wake up, honey," he heard her say from inside. He heard a muffled grumble and her laughter. Jeez he'd missed her laugh.

She stepped back out into the hall and walked into the room directly across from the one she'd just left.

"Girls, come on…I know you've snoozed your alarms twice already."

'_Girls'? Those must be Joey's sisters, who he'd seen in the pictures on her bookshelf. _

A chuckling Temperance Brennan propelled two identical very sleepy pajama-clad girls out of the bedroom. They were met by Joey, who stumbled out of the room she'd visited first. With an ease that suggested this was a relatively routine practice, she herded the three downstairs. They passed by his hiding spot so closely that he could have reached out and touched them as they walked towards the kitchen.

"C'mon, Sleeypheads, it's breakfast time, and then we've got a busy day, remember? Do you want oatmeal, cereal, or a bagel?"

"Bagel, please," Joey said, perking up at the mention of food.

"Oh, _now_ you're awake," she teased.

"Oatmeal for us," the girls chorused.

Booth couldn't believe how at ease she was with them. Angela had said she was a great mom, but it was one thing to hear it and something else completely to see her in action. The domestic scene before him continued to unfold.

"Oh, I forgot!" Joey exclaimed. "Paul asked if I could spend the night on Tuesday," he told Bones.

Bones shook her head. "School night, Joey…you know the rules."

Joey sighed. "I know."

"Why don't you invite him and Andy over on Saturday? There's a new dinosaur exhibit at the Jeffersonian."

He perked up. "Could they spend the night here?"

"I don't see why not," she replied, shocking Booth. "You can call them when we get back from the game. If they want to, tell them to have their mothers call me, alright?"

"Yep!" Joey exclaimed, clearly excited already.

Booth couldn't believe what he was hearing. Dr. Temperance Brennan, world-renowned forensic anthropologist, was not only fixing breakfast for a handful of children, but she was agreeing to host a sleepover.

"Did you put your baseball uniform in the laundry so I can wash it for tomorrow?"

Joey nodded. "Yep, it's there." He grinned at her. "I still think is so cool that you're one of the coaches," he chortled. "All of the other moms just sit in their chairs and read, or wave or something."

"Well, it's a good thing I found such a good teacher to explain the rules and show me how to play."

"Aw, _Mooom_," he groaned bashfully, making the two adults grin.

"Girls?"

"Yes Mom, all of our gear is packed and ready to go too."

Just then, another boy came stumbling down the stairs. He was the other boy who Booth had seen yesterday, Nate, and though his eyes were hardly open he made his way unerringly to Bones.

"G'morning Mom," he mumbled as he wrapped his arms around her swollen midsection. As she returned the hug, he pulled back enough to kiss her belly. "G'morning Alex; g'morning Katie."

"Good morning, Nate," Bones replied with a smile. "And the twins say good morning, too. Cereal?"

"Mmm…yes please," he said as he climbed up into the chair with the booster seat.

After Bones set a bowl of cereal in front of Nate they all sat down at the table together, a scene straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

Everyone had finished about fifteen minutes later, taking their dishes to the sink without being prompted.

Bones checked her watch. "Alright, you've all got about an hour and a half to get ready before we leave for the game. Take turns in the bathrooms, and try to save your dearest mother some hot water this time. Does anybody need any help?"

There was a chorus of negative replies. "Off with you then!" she said, shooing them out of the kitchen. "And ask your brother to bring Emily downstairs, please."

Joey grinned wider and trotted off towards the upstairs bathroom, the two girls and Nate following behind.

Booth still watched from the dark corner, trying to process everything. His brother? That must be the son she'd adopted.

As he continued to watch the stairs where the kids disappeared, the answer appeared and his breathing stopped.

Standing a good six feet tall, a young man in a t-shirt and pajama bottoms stood holding Emma, talking to her softly. He had brown eyes, a strong jaw, and his sandy brown hair was cropped military-short.

"Mom, Emma says she'd like oatmeal for breakfast," Parker Booth informed them as he came down the stairs.


End file.
